Rutgers women basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer has opted out of the upcoming season because of COVID-19 concerns, the school announced on Monday.
Stringer, who was to enter her 51st season as a head coach and has 1,055 wins in Division I, was absent from the Big Ten’s media day on Oct. 7 and has not been with the team since April.
Stringer, 73, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was worried about the lack of testing this season compared to last year, team spokesman Matt Choquette said in explaining her absence from a media event.
Stringer has a 40-year-old daughter who has spinal meningitis. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the virus.
Associate head coach Tim Eatman has been filling Stringer’s role since April and will coach the team this year, the school announced. This was to be Stringer’s 27th year in command of the program.
Stringer signed a five-year, $5.5 million extension in April after guiding the Scarlet Knights to a 14-5 mark last season, including a loss to BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
–Field Level Media
